Man charged with manslaughter over Rye brawl

AN 18-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with manslaughter over the death of David Cassai in a brawl in Rye on New Year's Eve.

Dylan John Closter, of Millgrove in Melbourne's east, was charged with manslaughter, affray and intentionally causing injury at an out-of-sessions court hearing at Victoria Police's St Kilda Road complex.

Closter did not apply for bail and will be remanded in custody at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, where he will appear at 10am on Thursday.

An unshaven Closter appeared shaken during the three-minute hearing as the charges were read out to him. He was of average height and had a stocky build, and wore a white T-shirt, black board shorts and a pair of thongs.

In addition to the manslaughter charge, he was charged with intentionally causing injury to two men in Mr Cassai's group, Andrew John and Vincent Tran.

Earlier on Wednesday police charged a 24-year-old Kilsyth man with intentionally causing injury and affray. He was bailed by police to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on February 20.

The charges also relate to the police investigation into the death of Mr Cassai, 22, from Templestowe, on Monday.

Mr Cassai was staying with friends at his parents' holiday house on the Mornington Peninsula. About 1am on Monday, he and five friends were involved in an altercation with another five men outside a pizza shop in Rye.

He was allegedly punched, fell and struck his head on the footpath. He died from his injuries in The Alfred hospital about 4pm that day.